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SHARING YOUR HOME FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT

"No way!" my husband lamented. "I don't want strangers in our house."

"But, it's like getting paid for going on vacation. And, if we don't rent it out, then we can't afford to go to Europe this year." I retorted.

It seemed like a no-brainer to me. Why not post an ad for our house on the same website that we had successfully used so many times to find great, owner-managed, vacation rentals for ourselves? The owners we'd encountered had all been charming people charging reasonable prices for self-catered stays in their well-located homes.

We were charming people with a comfortable Northern California home located two blocks from the beach in a popular tourist town. Why not join this community as both a lessor and renter?

"Plus," my argument continued, "with all the major events going on all summer long, the hotels book up quickly and people have no place to stay. We'll be performing a community service." He seemed to be coming around, so I kept going.

"Between the Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Tournament, Shakespeare Festival, and all the other annual events, we could rent out the house all summer and take three vacations this year instead of one!" I said, brimming with enthusiasm.

He looked into my eyes and could tell that in my mind I had already deplaned in Venice and was floating down the canals with a serenading gondolier.

"But what about all of our personal stuff ?" came the last feeble protest.

"We are only two people with no kids in a two-bedroom house. We throw private stuff into the garage, lock it up, and we're done." Both my logic and my glee were unquashable. Score one victory for me and the vacationers lucky enough to find our posting on the website.

The next day, I set about taking digital photos of our recently remodeled, well-loved beach cottage. In a few moments, the description was written, the photos were posted, and the ad was live.

"It looks like something you'd see in Sunset Magazine!" my friends exclaimed.

The website's community seemed to agree. My inbox began filling up with enquiries and the phone started ringing. Each prospective renter seemed nicer than the last. It was truly enjoyable conversing with people from all over the country and hearing their stories. Sometimes the scheduling didn't work out and I was glad to refer them to other accommodations and share information about the area. As a proud citizen ambassador, I was happy to pass on a local's ideas for unique tourist activities in our ecologically diverse, university-centric town.

Ultimately, we did find just the right match. Our first renters turned out to be a family of four who were all participating in the annual Wharf-to-Wharf Race. They needed a place where a couple with two teenagers could stay comfortably for one week without breaking the bank. Coincidentally, we are also a family of runners and sports-shoe store owners! We were delighted to accommodate this Colorado group in their family marathon endeavor. And, no, we didn't sell them any shoes!

The rental experience turned out to be positive for everyone. The family ran a great race and thoroughly enjoyed their stay. We returned from our trip to a house that was in perfect condition. The housekeeper had completed the move-out clean on schedule and reported no damages. The Colorado family had not only taken excellent care of the house, but had left a thank-you note and flowers on the kitchen table. To our surprise, and pleasure, many of the guests following the Colorado family did the same.

Learn more about this author, Shannon Rose.
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